1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and valuable piece of sports equipment. More particularly, the invention relates to a new type of glove pocket former to be used in keeping baseball and softball receiver gloves in proper condition and a method for its use.
Specifically, the invention provides a new type of product which can be inserted into the already formed outward pocket of a baseball or softball receiver's glove or mitt to maintain during storage the pocket in the proper depth and form, which glove pocket former comprises a ball like object having at least one bendable strap having joining means in the approximate center of the strap to be attached to the said ball like object, such as by Velcro joining means, and having locking or joining means, such as Velcro material, attached to the terminal ends of said strap so as to permit the strap ends to be tightly joined together when the ball like object is placed in the pocket of a glove.
The invention further provides a method for using the said glove pocket formers which comprises placing the ball like object into the pocket of the glove which is to be stored with the terminal ends of the strap on the outward side of the ball like object, pulling and bending the ends of the strap around the opposite side of the glove and locking or joining them tightly together at the back of the glove and thereby retaining the ball within the pocket of the glove.
Gloves used in baseball and softball to catch and retrieve balls, such as the catcher's glove, pitcher's glove and outfielder's gloves all possess a pocket in the outward center of the front of the glover where the ball is caught and retained. For proper use of the glove it is important that the pocket be retained in the proper form so that the ball can be easily caught and held at the proper time. New gloves generally do not have a proper pocket formed for the type of ball to be played, and it is necessary for the player to form the desired pocket by repeatedly tossing the ball into his own glove and forming the correct pocket. However, after the glove is used and then placed in storage, the pocket is again lost and it is necessary for the player, on taking up the glove again, to repeat the steps of tossing the ball into the glove to form the needed pocket again. This takes some time and when hastely done the pocket may not be in the desired shape. It would be very helpful, therefore, if some means could be found to retain the pocket during storage so as to avoid the constant need for remaking the pocket before each use.
2. Prior Art
While the problem has been with the sporting industry for some time, there have been no successful attempts to solve the problem. At most some of the players tie strings about the glove to keep the pocket partly in shape, but this is every inefficient as the string is generally lost or takes time to tie the string tightly enough around the glove to hold it in place, and no former has been retained in the pocket.
It is an object of the invention, therefor, to provide a new type of product to be used in retaining the pocket in gloves during storage. It is a further object to provide a glove pocket retaining device that can be easily stored and quickly applied to the glove. It is a further object to provide a glove pocket retaining device that keeps the pocket in the same condition no matter the length of storage. It is a further object to provide a glove pocket retaining device that can be varied to fit the type of ball being used and to retain the pocket in the exact form needed. It is a further object to provide a new glove pocket forming device that is simple and economically prepared. These and other object of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.